In recent weeks, Prime Minister Mark Carney has personally made major announcements touching on defence and infrastructure spending, the budget and U.S. trade talks.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
In the year 458 BC, legend has it that Rome was under threat from powerful enemies and feared for its existence. In desperation, the Senate voted to hand government to a retired public servant, trusty Cincinnatus. A delegation of legislators, sent to offer him supreme executive authority, found Cincinnatus on his farm, a modest man at the plow.
He responded immediately to the call, acted swiftly and decisively, routed Rome’s adversaries and held power not a moment longer than necessary. Having done his duty, he relinquished his position as dictator after just two weeks. He returned to his farm, and his plow.
Our Cincinnatus, called to service from the well-fertilized fields of private equity, has been at the helm of government for just three months – six weeks if we date things since the election. In that time, Prime Minister Mark Carney has moved fast, broken taboos, promised to work a flabby economy into the strongest in the G7 and pledged to build the previously unbuildable.
Canada is a country of “not bad, under the circumstances,” so all this shooting for the moon may yet fail to clear the launchpad. But it’s hard not to be surprised – heck, excited – at the willingness to aim high.
Cincinnatus Carney has also made it clear that, if there’s work to be done, he may do more than just supervise the plowing. He’s willing to be the ox, the tiller, the bag of seeds and the guy marketing the crop futures.
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This week, Mr. Carney abruptly announced that the long-promised 2-per-cent defence spending target will be reached this year. Bang, just like that. And there was more, making this the most momentous defence decision in decades. The PM not only made this announcement out of the blue, he made it himself. The Defence Minister (for the record, that’s David McGuinty) wasn’t even on the stage.
It was a similar story when Mr. Carney corrected the Finance Minister and said that, yes, there will be a budget this year. The minister allegedly responsible was so far out of sight, he wasn’t on the same continent.
Last week, when Mr. Carney unveiled his legislation to speed up infrastructure projects – call it the Yes More Pipelines Act – there were at least potted-plant ministers arranged behind him. But the Environment Minister (for fans of trivia, the answer is Julie Dabrusin) was not among them.
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It was also revealed this week that negotiations with the United States have been happening, headlined by mano-a-mano telephone talks between the PM and U.S. President Donald Trump. So, Mr. Carney, in addition to being his own finance minister and defence minister, is his own trade negotiator.
It’s unconventional. It may also be necessary. Mr. Trump operates on whim, and has announced and frozen tariffs by social-media post, leaving even his cabinet in the dark. Any rejigging of our relationship with the U.S. won’t happen through the usual diplomatic process. This isn’t that world.
It’s difficult to fault Mr. Carney for trying to deal personally with a man who personalizes everything. Under the circumstances, it’s probably the least-bad approach. Under the circumstances, it may be the only approach.
A few weeks back, I asked if the Carney government was the opposite of the Trudeau government, or its apotheosis. The answer appears to be: both.
It’s the opposite in that, whereas the Trudeau government loved to delay and deny and allow a thing to fester until it burst into a crisis, this PM loves to make decisions. The people he trusts are of the same mien.
But Mr. Carney’s administration is also Trudeauism taken to another level, at least so far. Decision-making is centred more than ever not only in the Prime Minister’s Office, but in the PM. I don’t think this can continue, though we will see. The last PM who tried something similar was Stephen Harper. He had unusual drive and will, and even he did not go as far as Mr. Carney.
But a tired Liberal government needed a kick in the pants. Its members needed a reminder of what exceptional performers they have not been. Being bigfooted by the boss delivers a message.
As for the country, it needed to be shaken from its lethargy and reminded that the status quo doesn’t have to be a life sentence without parole.
Ambition is easy and execution is hard, so this may all go the way of politics and end in tears. But you have to admit that, right now, with a wind of change whipping through an open door, it’s kind of exhilarating.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that while Defence Minister David McGuinty was not on stage when the Prime Minister made the defence announcement, the Defence Minister was in the room.